Fire and the Lonely Mountain

It’s time to talk about songwriting. And I’m not talking about mainstream hits on the radio. Film scores transport viewers into the world of the movie they are viewing, right? Then the song that rolls with the credits should be a summary of what we just watched. Peter Jackson has taken great care in choosing the artists who perform his credit pieces. For his latest Hobbit trilogy, he hit his mark dead on.

The Song of the Lonely Mountain, written and performed by Neil Finn, was the song featured at the end of An Unexpected Journey. The basic melody of the tune followed the a capella chant performed by the dwarves at the beginning of the film. The simpler version led by Richard Armitage’s Thorin Oakenshield used lyrics directly from the book:

Far over the Misty Mountains cold,

to dungeons deep, and caverns old,

we must away, ere break of day,

to find our long forgotten gold.

The pines were roaring o’er the height,

the winds were moaning in the night

the fire was red, it flaming spread,

the trees like torches, blazed with light.

Neil Finn’s song (which can be found on Rolling Stone’s media player) sounds very similar and even the lyrics are alike:

Far over the Misty Mountains rise Leave us standing upon the heights What was before, we see once more Our kingdom a distant light

Fiery mountain beneath the moon The words unspoken, we’ll be there soon For home a song that echoes on And all who find us will know the tune

Some folk we never forget Some kind we never forgive Haven’t seen the back of us yet We’ll fight as long as we live All eyes on the hidden door To the Lonely Mountain borne We’ll ride in the gathering storm Until we get our long-forgotten gold

We lay under the Misty Mountains cold In slumbers deep and dreams of gold We must awake, our lives to make And in the darkness a torch we hold

From long ago when lanterns burned Till this day our hearts have yearned Her fate unknown the Arkenstone What was stolen must be returned

We must awake and make the day To find a song for heart and soul

Some folk we never forget Some kind we never forgive Haven’t seen the end of it yet We’ll fight as long as we live All eyes on the hidden door To the Lonely Mountain borne We’ll ride in the gathering storm Until we get our long-forgotten gold Far away from Misty Mountains cold.

This song reflects on the dwarves journey to this point. The tone of the song and the words set the tone for the introduction, which is what An Unexpected Journey was in a way. The song has strong male vocals in the background and sound effects that almost sound reminiscent of the hammers in the deep during the days when the dwarves were at their mining peak. I love the sound effects in the background of the iron work going on and the background vocals really pull you into the song. Song of the Lonely Mountain is reflective of not only the singular quest at hand, but of the entire race of dwarves.

I See Fire, however, is much more personal:

Oh, misty eye of the mountain below Keep careful watch of my brothers’ souls And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke Keep watching over Durin’s sons

If this is to end in fire Then we should all burn together Watch the flames climb high into the night

Calling out father Stand by and we will Watch the flames burn auburn on The mountain side high

And if we should die tonight Then we should all die together Raise a glass

of wine for the last time

Calling out father Prepare as we will Watch the flames burn auburn on The mountain side Desolation comes upon the sky

Now I see fire Inside the mountain I see fire Burning the trees And I see fire Hollowing souls I see fire Blood in the breeze And I hope that you remember me

Oh, should my people fall Then surely I’ll do the same Confined in mountain halls We got too close to the flame

Calling out father Hold fast and we will Watch the flames burn auburn on The mountain side Desolation comes upon the sky

Now I see fire Inside the mountain I see fire Burning the trees I see fire Hollowing souls I see fire Blood in the breeze And I hope that you remember me

And if the night is burning I will cover my eyes For if the dark returns Then my brothers will die And as the sky is falling down It crashed into this lonely town And with that shadow upon the ground I hear my people screaming out

And I see fire Inside the mountains I see fire Burning the trees I see fire Hollowing souls I see fire Blood in the breeze

I see fire (oh you know I saw a city burn) And I see fire (feel the heat upon my skin) And I see fire And I see fire burn auburn on the mountain side

The song was written and performed by Ed Sheeran and while the lyrics do reflect the thirteen dwarves, the words are specific to Thorin, who was very much the center of the story once they entered the mountain. We see his face when he sees that wind-lance in Lake-town and it is as if all his past memories have flooded back into his mind. They all see fire in that mountain, but Thorin has not stopped seeing fire since that day almost two hundred years ago. The line “I hope that you’ll remember me” in the song gives me chills because that’s all Thorin wants! His greatest fear is to be lost to history or remembered as a crazy guy like his father and grandfather. This quest is about his glory, and while that sounds selfish (and it is) it turns into something much greater.

The lyrics here also reflect the original song from the first movie when it talks about the burning trees and it is this consistency which ties the two films together. I love that the songs bring words from the script to life in these songs and creates a deeper connection with the audience by doing so. The songs have shifted from a collective, plural first person to a singular first person point of view and the tone is becoming increasingly dire. There is also the fact that the last image burned into the audience’s mind from The Desolation of Smaug is that of Smaug flying toward Laketown. “I see fire burn auburn on the mountain side” is very appropriately the last line we should hear.

[The links provided in this post will take you to experience these great songs, first through Rolling Stone in audio, then through YouTube in video.]

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Published by The Bibliophilia Co

I graduated Penn State University with a degree in Medieval Studies. In both reading and writing I enjoy historical biographies, particularly British Royalty or history pertaining to the British Isles. All writing advice, opinions, and criticism is very welcome.
I also run an Etsy shop dedicated to breathing new life in old books. I specialize in upcycled book crafts that make great gifts for my fellow book lovers. The Bibliophilia Co is where books are immortal.
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One thought on “Fire and the Lonely Mountain”

I love both ‘The Song of the Lonely Mountain’ and ‘I see Fire’, but Neil Finn’s song always felt more emotional and appropriate – at the same time it echoes the ‘Misty Mountains Cold’ theme, which is even better 😀